diff --git a/awx/api/filters.py b/awx/api/filters.py
index 6d5c7920c5..94a3fcc33f 100644
--- a/awx/api/filters.py
+++ b/awx/api/filters.py
@@ -149,6 +149,11 @@ class FieldLookupBackend(BaseFilterBackend):
             return field.to_python(value)
 
     def value_to_python(self, model, lookup, value):
+        try:
+            lookup = lookup.encode("ascii")
+        except UnicodeEncodeError:
+            raise ValueError("%r is not an allowed field name. Must be ascii encodable." % lookup)
+
         field, new_lookup = self.get_field_from_lookup(model, lookup)
 
         # Type names are stored without underscores internally, but are presented and
diff --git a/awx/main/tests/unit/api/test_filters.py b/awx/main/tests/unit/api/test_filters.py
index 6570ada6f7..45eec0df1f 100644
--- a/awx/main/tests/unit/api/test_filters.py
+++ b/awx/main/tests/unit/api/test_filters.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
 import pytest
 
 from rest_framework.exceptions import PermissionDenied
@@ -24,6 +26,14 @@ def test_valid_in(valid_value):
     assert 'foo' in value
 
 
+def test_invalid_field():
+    invalid_field = u"ヽヾ"
+    field_lookup = FieldLookupBackend()
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError) as excinfo:
+        field_lookup.value_to_python(WorkflowJobTemplate, invalid_field, 'foo')
+    assert 'is not an allowed field name. Must be ascii encodable.' in excinfo.value.message
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize('lookup_suffix', ['', 'contains', 'startswith', 'in'])
 @pytest.mark.parametrize('password_field', Credential.PASSWORD_FIELDS)
 def test_filter_on_password_field(password_field, lookup_suffix):